Looking to shake up your cocktail repertoire with something that’s not yet another gin? Brisbane has scored a new vodka brand, and it’s one that like many things over the past 18 months, was born out of a stroke of genius as a result of the lockdowns.
A rye vodka made from locally sourced ingredients, Idle Hour was inspired by the Covid lockdowns, and a desire to offer something special to the community in a time when spontaneous catch-ups with friends were prohibited.
“We could see Aussies turning to well-made local spirits,” said co-founder and director Ewen Pettit. “We wanted to introduce our rye vodka and offer something special in those dire times.”
Founders Pettit, Matt Kowal and Lachie Goldsworthy are no strangers to the booze business—Petit has long worked for massive brands like Heineken and Pernod Ricard, Kowal is an energy drink veteran from Red Bull and Monster, and Goldsworthy was heavily involved in the development of Balter Brewing. The group wanted to create a minimalist, uncomplicated vodka that challenges the outdated ideas of the spirit—something that’s so much more that the cheapest vodka you can find at the bottle-o (let’s face it, we’ve all been there).
We think Idle Hour is pretty special, not just because it features locally grown rye and is made in Mount Glorious, just outside of Brisbane. This is a vodka with actual flavour—so while you can sip it in a vodka soda, you can also knock it back neat over ice. There’s two varieties depending on your preference—for the vodka soda drinkers, get the charcoal filtered, but if you’re keen to try something different, get the Idle Hour Unfiltered, which has a spicy, chocolatey essence.
You can try Idle Hour Vodka for yourself at over 100 retailers across Queensland, including The Alba, Bloodhound and Madame Wu or order it direct here. Keep an eye out for their native range later this year too.
Not ready to give up gin? We understand—check out our favourite local distilleries here.
Image credit: Supplied